Road to nowhere for angry Mearns locals

So far, 23 householders from Castle Court in Newton Mearns have signed a petition to fix a problem which they first complained about more than three years ago.

Tina Schuster, a 93-year-old local, described King’s Gardens as a “hazard”.

She said: “The roads are killing me. I have to walk with two sticks and it is impossible. Because of the state of the roads I can’t even cross my own street.”

Her neighbour Monty Jacobs, who organised the petition, added: “There is no surface left. Almost everybody has burst tyres on the street.What do we pay council tax for?”

Councillor Ian McAlpine is determined to find a solution.

He told The Extra: “I too have made several complaints about the poor state of this road with no success.

“I hope with the petition that East Renfrewshire council will be able to improve and re-surface this road.

“I am very grateful for the time and effort residents have put into completing this petition, which shows how important this issue is.”

Despite the campaign, East Renfrewshire council appears to have kicked the idea of fixing the problem into the long grass for the time being.

A spokeswoman from East Renfrewshire council said: “We are aware of the condition of King’s Gardens and the request by local residents for repairs.

“The council has increased investment in the road network significantly over the past four years, with an additional £4.65 being spent on resurfacing. This has allowed us to resurface more roads than ever.

“However, there are roads in the area that still require resurfacing work and we will continue to work through an ongoing programme.

“We will continue to regularly inspect the road and arrange for appropriate repairs to ensure they remain safe for road users.”